Date of Conferral
2018
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Counselor Education and Supervision
Advisor
Corinne Bridges
Abstract
Youth, between the ages of 12 and 17, account for the majority of sexual assaults in the United States. Counselors who work with youth with problem sexual behaviors need to have appropriate clinical skills to the degree to which clinical services increase the probability of effective results and are consistent with current professional knowledge. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of counselors who work with youth with problem sexual behaviors. A purposeful sample of 8 licensed professional clinical counselors employed at a mental health agency in one city in Ohio shared their experiences through semi structured, in-person interviews in their natural settings. The data were collected, transcribed and analyzed using NVivo. The analysis of data conducted through horizontialzation, cluster of meanings, and coding for emergent themes. Transcendental phenomenological approach helped to uncover dominant and influential emotions, which counselors identified as frustration, tension, anger, and fear. The findings for this study revealed that self-care strategies reaffirmed their importance in wellness for appropriate job performance. Furthermore, the participants felt their school program was successful in teaching on various theories however, they indicated a need for more training in working effectively with this specific population. Academic institutions and mental health programs can use the results of this study to amend certification areas on the requirements and clinical skills necessary for counselors working with youth with problem sexual behaviors.
Recommended Citation
Crump, Beverly, "The Lived Experiences of Counselors Working with Youth with Problem Sexual Behaviors" (2018). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 5317.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/5317
